


Names

by tnmnova



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Disaster Trio, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, I think I'm funny - which might be a warning, Link (Legend of Zelda) is a Dork, Link is a gremlin, Non-Binary OC, Nova's taking creative liberties, Slow To Update, Tags will update as chapters come up, Timeline Shenanigans, Writing for Fun, a few thousand years ago, no beta - we die like men, oh no help, spot the reference game, teenage disaster force, unfortunately apt nicknames, very very pre-botw, well that happened, what is plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25757680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tnmnova/pseuds/tnmnova
Summary: The Naming Ceremony of Alfa Alari is very intricate. Ten days after each birth, Hylia awards each child a name. But what if the parents don't like that name? What if the Chosen Champion never knew of his destiny?This all takes place after the end of the published timeline and before Breath of the Wild (basically in that 10,000 year period that's not elaborated on).
Relationships: Disaster Trio - Relationship, Link & Odie, Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Zelda & Odie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something that got me laughing when I was talking to some friends in a Shink chat and said "What if Zelda wasn't named Zelda and Link wasn't named Link", because I know Zelda's name is generational, but what if... What happens if Link's name is generational or goddess-chosen but his parents refuse to allow that? Shenanigans!
> 
> Please be gentle; it's been ages since I wrote.

“Once upon a time, there were three Golden Goddesses. They created Hyrule as we know it, pooling together their abilities and will to make it so. Din made the land, Nayru created order, and Farore created all life. They then ascended to the heavens and left Hylia - along with their power in the form of a Triforce - to sort out the rest. 

  
Every few generations or so, Hylia appoints a champion - a boy of great courage - to assist her in tamping down on the evil influences that consistently try to gain a foothold in our world. Link is the name given to this champion, time after time, era after era. He has also held other titles: Hero of Time, Hero of Twilight, Hero of Winds, Hero of Ages, and many more. But he is always, and evermore Link, Hylia’s chosen champion of courage. 

  
This is why this is a very important name in our culture. Ten days after birth, parents take their child to the Springs and pray to Hylia for a name to give them. Hylia has given you all your names, passed to you through your parents. It is in hopes of finding the champion, preparing him, and protecting him until he can do his duty.” 

  
“But Grandma…what if we don’t like the name she gave us?” a young boy asked. He was eight and saddled with the uninspiring name _Carson_. The young boy was hyperactive, only sitting still for Grandmother’s story time - though, admittedly, more out of fear of his grandmother’s wrath than any interest in the story.

  
Grandmother Ephia chuckled at her grandson, leaning forward to sweep his blonde bangs out of his eyes and making a note to cut them later. “Then, when you come of age, you may pray to Hylia to receive a different name,” she told him in long-patient tones.

  
“Or, y’know, you could make your own,” said another child with bright blue hair, big brown eyes, and the world’s ugliest glasses. This was Odie, Carson’s best friend. “Like Arson, ‘cause you like burning stuff!” 

  
“No, not…not Arson,” Grandmother Ephia murmured, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Though Odie is right: sometimes the parents refuse the name granted, and some people create their own names. Your mothers both refused to name you what Hylia suggested.” 

  
Carson grinned triumphantly and clapped his hands once to emphasise: “Then I’m now Arson! Odie’s right: I really do like burning things.”

  
“Young man, you will use your proper name - at least with your family - or you will face my wrath. Your mother had a _very specific reason_ for naming you Carson, and you will respect that.”

  
“Yeah, but that sucks. Carson’s such a boring name,” the boy in question protested, huffing as he crossed his arms and looked at his friend. 

  
They grinned and nodded. “It is kinda bad when your parents have such cool names, themselves.”

“Well then tell Hylia about it in your Green Ceremony,” Grandmother Ephia stated, her tone indicating an end to that particular conversation. She would not be further burdened by such silly complaints and aspirations.


	2. The Green Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And bippidy boppidy time-skip, now they're both thirteen! And ready for adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we begin playing my favorite game: spot the reference!

FOUR POINT FIVE YEARS LATER

“This is stupid. Why do you get to do this dumb ceremony and I don’t?” Arson groused, watching Odie braid their hair - long and getting longer - into an intricate plait. Their mother would pin it up properly once they donned the dress for the ceremony, but Odie was expected to take at least some care of their own presentation.

“That’s something you should probably ask your mother,” Odie said, shrugging. “I’m just excited for the dress. Mom got me a really pretty one that goes down to my ankles! And she said I don’t have to wear shoes!”

Arson smiled at that. His friend hated shoes and it was a well-known fact throughout Alfa Alari. Odie’s parents often chased them down, scolding them for running around barefoot. 

“Yeah, well, she won’t tell me,” Arson said with a shrug. “Just like she won’t tell me what my name was _supposed_ to be. It’s gotta be better than Carson!”

“Not better than _Arson_ , though,” Odie said with a grin. “That’s the point of a name: to tell people about you. And now everyone knows you’re a menace.”

“Everyone knew that anyway.”

“That’s true. Now help me with this other side, and then I gotta get dressed so you better scram.”

Arson smiled and began braiding the untouched hair on Odie’s head, fingers nimble and quick. Despite his disappointment that he wasn’t going to be permitted to take part in the ceremony - despite his birthday being two months ago - he was excited for his friend. The Green Ceremony was _very_ important, another appeal to Hylia for guidance and for a champion to show himself. They were all given green clothing: green dresses for those who preferred them and a green tunic and brown pants for those who did not. Then there were speeches and toasts, a breaking of bread and dancing, not to mention music, and everyone who had or would turn thirteen in this calendar year would be a part of it.

Despite his complaints, Arson was honestly rather okay with the fact that he wouldn’t have to sit through all the pomp and circumstance. He knew that he was thirteen without having to go through seven adults declaring him as such, and being thirteen meant that he could go on _adventures_ and _explore_ \- dragging his friend with him, naturally. And of course he had to check in on occasion; his parents would worry otherwise! He just didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to be part of the ceremonies praising Hylia, nor why his parents didn’t even have a statue of her in their house. It was silly! (He prayed to her every time he was at Odie’s house, though. She seemed nice, after all.)

The best part of not taking part in the ceremony himself, however, was the fact that he would have a prime view of the dance that Odie was to do. They had been terribly secretive these past few months after the Elder had chosen them to do the dancing as the ballad was played, and he wanted to see the payoff. Odie had said it was a lot of hard work, and their feet and legs reflected it, being bruised and scuffed from practice. If he were on stage, Arson wouldn’t be able to see them very well at all, but he planned on being in the front row as support - even if his parents weren’t thrilled he was even attending. 

As expected, the ceremony was dull except for the part where Odie danced while a young girl in white played a song on the harp. The dance (and song) consisted of wide, sweeping movements, several graceful jumps and twirls, and some intricate maneuvering that Arson wasn’t sure he wanted to learn how to replicate. Odie had green and white ribbons tied on their wrists so that they would catch the air as they danced, emphasising the movements further. Arson was enraptured; Odie’s practice and dedication showed through clearly in the sheer skill of the movements. 

Then it got boring again with adults yammering on about how thirteen was a _special_ age where people would begin to find their _chosen calling_ or some such nonsense. This was, after all, the point of the ceremony, the dance, the song, the prayers: to help _all_ of the younglings find their calling, what Hylia had chosen them to do, as well as to pray again for the chosen hero. 

“Thirteen is much too young,” Arson heard his mother, Cira, whispering to his father. “So much can happen between now and adulthood. Why must the children be chosen _now_?”

“It is as it always has been,” Lati, his father, said. “And thirteen is a perfectly good age to begin to travel and learn the world. It’s not as if we are asking these children to go off and die in a war! Merely to begin thinking of their futures.”

“Still don’t see why _she_ has to be brought into it,” Cira grumbled, still wounded by the goddess’s words all these years later. “What would she know? We know our kids best, after all.”

Lati, wisely, just shrugged. There was no need to blaspheme at a ceremony dedicated to the goddess they were talking about. It was just disrespectful of the others who did believe. 

Once it was finally over, Odie was quick to find their way to the small family and was immediately engulfed in three hugs. 

“You did very well,” Cira said, placing her hand on Odie’s head. “I could see how hard you worked on that routine.” 

“Right? It was tough, too. I’m glad they let me dance barefoot, though. I know it’s not safe, but I can’t see _anything_ without my glasses. At least I can tell where I am if I’m barefoot.” Odie beamed in pride, not terribly bothered by the fact that they had what they claimed was the world’s worst eyesight - or at least the village’s worst. 

“I am proud of you, Odalia,” a woman said. Her white hair was braided and piled on top of her head and her eyes shone with pride. She handed her child their glasses, which Odie snatched up and jammed on their face unceremoniously. “To be chosen to take part in the Ballad as the dancer or the harpist is a very high honor, and I am glad you chose to bear it with the dignity and pride deemed proper.”

“I wouldn’t disappoint you, Mama.” But Odie’s attention could only hold for so long when in the presence of their best friend. “So now that we’re old enough, where do you want to go? I want to go to the Keshi Forest. I heard it’s _haunted_.”

“How about we start with a short trip to Cafa Dorei,” Lati interjected, putting his hand on Arson’s shoulder. “I need supplies for the shop, and you two are just the perfect pair to retrieve them.”

“Cafa Dorei? That’s just a couple hours down the road. That’s not an _adventure_ ,” Arson protested. “That’s just an _errand_.” 

“And an _errand_ is a good first adventure,” Rove - Odie’s mother - stated. “You shouldn’t be too desperate for adventure and turmoil. You might just get what you ask for.”

“Well, duh,” Arson said, rolling his eyes and receiving a slap to the back of his head for his disrespect, but he kept on going. “That’s what we _want_. Fun! Adventure! And a little light burning.” He shrugged casually.

“Asking for such things often brings on worse than what you desire. Be careful what you wish for, Arson,” Rove said, her voice smooth and thoughtful, a small smile on her face. “Bad things can happen when one seeks out trouble.”

“Mama, with all due respect, trouble usually finds _us_ ,” Odie said, cocking their head. 

“Even more reason to start with a short trip to Cafa Dorei,” Lati interjected. “And I’ll even let you come back the next day so that you can get your fill of exploring that town and learning what is necessary for longer trips.”

“Alright!” both children cheered, giving each other a high five and grinning broadly. Adventure was out there! And they’d just been given permission to seek it. Kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, that is the Ballad of the Goddess I'm referencing. It's a lovely piece of music that lends itself to elegant spins and large sweeping motions. There's a few dance, skate, and floor routines to this on Youtube. It's also a freaking earworm!


	3. And On To Adventure!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoes suck.

“Give me one good reason why I should wear shoes. You know I hate them!” Odie groused, cramming a notebook into their already too-full bag. 

“Traveling on the road. Don’t want to get stepped on by horses. Might have to make a break for the forest. Who knows what’ll happen, and your feet are going to get torn up!” Arson reasoned, handing them another item to maneuver into place. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t understand their grudge against shoes: Odie could barely see without their glasses, and feeling the earth beneath their feet was one of the few ways his friend could tell where they were going, but sometimes it went much too far. 

“It’s a miracle Cali lets you in the stables with no shoes, but you’re not going to get away with it on the road. And anyway, you wouldn’t want the people of Cafa Dorei thinking you’re uncivilized, now would you?” Arson smirked, as if he had won the argument right there.

“Don’t care,” Odie intoned, pushing their glasses up on their nose. “Don’t care about the horses, nor about my image. Anyway, I’m with you, so they’ll definitely get the idea one way or another.”

“Can you at least pack them just in case?” Arson asked, shoving Odie’s shoes at them. “If you have enough room in your bag, that is.”

“You want to bring them, then you pack them,” Odie snapped, grabbing the shoes and shoving them into Arson’s bag. “But if you make me wear them, then you’re responsible for my safety.”

“Okay,” was the end of that argument, Arson agreeing easily to these conditions. If they had to run, they would at least be safe from thorns in their feet. “You think we’re overpacking?” he asked, moving the subject along. 

Odie looked between their bags, squinted a bit, then shook their head. “Overprepared is better than underprepared. That’s what my mom always says. You got the list from your dad?”

“Yep. Need to be sure to stop by the textile store and put in an order, too,” he said. “But we will get all the rest of the supplies on the way back. More time to look around.”

Odie smiled enthusiastically and thrust themself up onto their knees and across the floor at Arson in a hug that brought them both to the ground laughing. “This is gonna be great! I’m so glad your parents are letting you stay over tonight, too. This’ll be _awesome_!”

Arson couldn’t help but agree.

Early the next morning, the two children were woken by Rove to make their last preparations and to get a move on. 

“The two of you should offer your prayers,” she said in a steady tone, gesturing to the statue of Hylia on the hearth. “Her guidance and protection on the road will be very important lest you encounter monsters or brigands.”

The two children nodded and knelt in front of the statue, offering their prayers. And then Arson spoke up. “My parents don’t usually do this,” he said quietly. 

“No?” Odie asked. “Why?”

“Don’t believe. They don’t like me being in ceremonies or stuff for Hylia either. I don’t know why, though. She’s nice, and she’s always protected me.”

“That is a discussion for your parents, young Carson. All I can tell you is that they carry a deep wound given by the Goddess herself. Even I do not know the extent of it, but it must have been grievous to extinguish their faith in her,” Rove told him, kneeling between the two children and taking one hand apiece. “But she will protect you no matter what, as she will your parents. She is not a vengeful goddess in that, at least.”

“I know that, Mama,” Odie said with a smile, leaning over to kiss Rove’s cheek. 

Rove looked at her child with a peaceful smile. “You will wear shoes on this trip.”

“But _Mama_!” Odie protested, then silenced as their mother shook her head. 

“You will wear shoes on this trip, Odalia. If only to protect your feet. You should be able to trust in Carson to protect you should you lose your glasses. Do you not?”

Odie paused, looking between the two. Carson wore a grin that suggested that it was _he_ who broke that particular pot. He probably did, too.

“You’re awful. Fine. I’ll wear shoes,” they acquiesced, thinking to themself that they would remove them as soon as their mother wasn’t looking. 

Rove laughed and hugged Odie, then Arson. “Then it is time for the two of you to go.”

“Alright! On to adventure!” Odie cried, exploding out of their knelt position to run to the door, then skidded to a stop. “Arson, gimme my shoes.” 

“They’re in my bag at the top,” he said, then turned to Rove to give her a hug and a whispered “Thank you”. 

“Anytime, dearest. You are both my children, after all.”


	4. Say What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids arrive to Cafa Dorei and begin to explore.

“I hate shoes.”

“You can take them off when we get to town,” Arson said, shrugging. 

“Doesn’t change the fact that I hate them,” Odie groused, kicking their legs out to the side from their place atop a black horse. The horse huffed in displeasure. 

“How many times are we going to have this conversation?” 

“‘Til I can take my shoes off.”

“Well, town’s up there,” Arson said, pointing at a mass of buildings in the distance. 

Cafa Dorei wasn’t the most impressive town in the world, but it was certainly the largest that the two children had seen. Some of the buildings rose three or four stories, and smells radiated out of town from the marketplace nearby. The farms they were passing were peaceful, with grazing livestock and the friendly waves of the townsfolk. This looked to be a nice place.

Odie brought one leg up, pulled off a shoe, dropped their leg, and did the same for the other. Then they stuffed them into their bag with a pointed look at Arson, daring him to tell them to put them back on. 

Arson studiously ignored his friend’s dramatics, as was wise when Odie got in a mood. 

“What do we want to stop at first?” Odie asked as they approached the borders of town. 

“My dad said that I need to put in an order at M’s Meatgrinder first, but we won’t be taking that along with us. They’ll deliver that,” Arson said with a grin.

“Good. I don’t want to deal with _things_ smelling the meat and deciding we’re food.” Odie crunched their nose and shook their head. “They’re bad enough as it is, hopping and screaming the way they do.”

“What, the bokoblins? They’re not that bad, especially if we keep our distance. They’re just doing what they do,” Arson said, shrugging his shoulders. 

Odie just looked at their friend. “Why are you such an idiot?” 

Arson grinned. “Because you put up with it.”

It didn’t take much longer to find the stables and allow their horses some rest. The rest of the town awaited, after all, and both kids were eager to explore. A few adults looked on with indulgent smiles, recognizing their enthusiasm. Kids straight from the Green Ceremony, clearly. 

Arson grabbed his friend’s hand and pulled them out into the main street, looking back and forth for the sign of the butcher’s shop. 

“There!” Odie called, pointing the opposite direction and taking off at a full-blast run. “M’s Meatgrinder, right?”

The first thing that Odie noticed when they opened the door was that it smelled _awful._ Raw meat, blood, salt, and the preserving process for various sausages all left a musty, heavy odor that was absolutely oppressive. “Ew,” they complained under their breath even as Arson, who didn’t seem to mind at _all_ for some reason, led them by the hand to a tall, lanky man with long brown hair and a hat that seemed a bit ridiculous for a butcher to wear. 

“Hi, I need to place an order,” he said, pulling out the paper with the meat order for the market back home. 

The man looked over, eyepatch square in the middle of his forehead, and grinned. 

“Well, I would hope so! I’m Percival. I run the place.”

“Why are you wearing an eyepatch?” Odie asked, tilting their head. 

Percival looked at the small human with too-large glasses and said “Why is your hair blue?”

“…fair,” Odie conceded. 

“Don’t mind them. They’re silly,” Arson said with a smile, stepping squarely between the two, who were attempting a stare-off, breaking the line of site. “Here’s my list. Dad wanted it delivered in three days, if that’s doable.”

Percival shifted his attention and took the note, nodding. “Three days is doable. You got the rupees?”

Shifting behind him told Arson that Odie was digging in their bag again. How the bag of rupees ended up on the bottom every time was beyond him. It took just a minute before Odie thrust their bag into Arson’s arms and started counting out the gems. The butcher looked like he was going to protest, to ask for more than what had been marked on the note, but Odie squared their shoulders and pointedly pulled the drawstring, the pouch making a zipping noise. No protest was made. 

“Three days,” Arson reminded Percival with a smile.

“Sure. Fine. You kids stay out of trouble, and especially away from the spicy rat.”

“The _what, now_?” 

“You heard me.” He then turned back to the meat and went back to work.

Arson grabbed Odie by the hand and led them out the door, looking at his friend in pure befuddlement. “The _what?_ ” 

“Spicy rat? Why is there a spicy rat?” Odie muttered, shaking their head. “Anyway. Dye. We need to find the dye shop and put in our order there.”

Arson nodded and pulled out that paper. Thankfully, that mission didn’t take nearly as long as arguing with the shady butcher, so the kids were quickly free to explore the town. 

It was noisy and crowded, and the marketplace was selling some amazing-smelling spices. Voices called from each stall, begging attention to their goods, and Odie and Arson found themselves being drawn to one stall in particular. 

Crystals, rocks, and gems were being sold here by a creature they had never seen before. Its brown body stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Hylians in the market, and it was at least twice as wide. There seemed to be rocks imbedded into its skin along the back of its arms, and it spoke in a booming, gleeful voice. 

“Ah, young ones! What brings you here?” it asked, tapping (or, more like pounding) the table with one enormous hand. The sign said “Makba’s Treats”. 

Where Odie once stood was now a much, _much_ smaller spider. Clearly the ‘tap’ had startled them. Arson looked at the creature, looked at Odie’s small blue form, and just bent to pick them up as if this was a normal occurence. 

“I’ve never seen someone like you before,” Arson stated, spider held carefully to his chest. 

Makba, he assumed, peered with large eyes at the creature in Arson’s hands, then spoke carefully. 

“I’m a Goron. Have you not seen Gorons before? We bring rocks and gems here every couple weeks.” 

“Oh, cool!” Arson cheered. “Dad’s gonna be so excited when I tell him I met you! What stuff you got?”

Makba, still looking at the spider, gestured much more slowly at the table. As it seemed to process, the Goron pointed at Arson’s chest. “Did I scare your friend?”

“Yeah, but they startle easy. It’s fine,” he said with a grin. “They’ll calm down in a bit. And sometimes they like to ride on my shoulder!” Which was exactly where Odie went as Arson spoke: on his shoulder. 

This didn’t seem to suit, though, so they ran down their friend’s body and found the ground once more, and the blue-haired child reappeared, grumbling “Can’t see _anything,_ ” as they adjusted their glasses and leaned in to investigate a clear stone. “Is that a diamond?”

It took Makba a few more seconds to process _that_ particular change. Defeat was clear on the Goron’s broad face as they decided to give up on understanding what was happening, but it didn’t last, given that the subject was rocks. 

“Nah, just a crystal,” Makba said, bringing their hands together and grinning broadly.

“It’s so cool,” Odie said, picking it up and watching rainbows dance along the ground. “How much?”

The Goron told them the price, and they wrinkled their nose. “Ow, we don’t have that much.” 

“Hmm,” Makba said, picking up the crystal and observing it, then opening a hand toward Odie. Odie leaned closer, and the Goron took their hand and placed the crystal in it. “A gift, then. As an apology for startling you.”

Odie blushed and pulled away, gem and all, to step behind Arson. Their smile was blinding, as was the Goron’s. 

“Thank you!” Arson said with a bright smile of his own. “We’ll see you again soon.” 

But there was more to explore and Arson didn’t want to be stuck talking with the big creature for too much longer. They had one day to take it all in, after all. They had to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And some more spot-the-reference. If you see anything, please call it out! It's fun!


	5. A Challenger

_Break it,_ his instincts cried. _Break the pot. There’s goodies inside._

Arson doubted his instincts for twelve point three seconds before decidedly drawing his short sword and swinging it at the pot. It broke. There were no goodies.

 _Break another,_ his instincts said. _Or do some light lawn clipping. Always good for rupees, that._

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” a man shouted from down the alleyway, and Odie laughed, grabbing Arson by the hand and dragging him away from the scene of the crime. Arson was laughing, as well. Why he had thought breaking pots would give him rupees, he had no idea, but he was going to try it again on the next pot he saw.

It had twenty rupees. There were no angry crockery owners. 

“Score!” Arson cheered, pumping his fist. 

Odie hopped in place. “We should do it again!” they suggested. 

“Maybe,” Arson said, looking at the broken vase and considering how much that would cost to put back together. More than twenty rupees, for sure. “But we can’t get caught again. That guy didn’t seem to appreciate it.”

“Yeah, guess so,” Odie said, skipping ahead and then coming to an immediate halt as they heard someone singing, their eyes closing as they swayed in place. 

_Hey now, hey now, hear what we say now. Happiness is just around the corner._

The lyrics lilted along the alley, drawing them both closer to the source, which seemed to be a bar with its doors wide open, chairs strewn along the front of it. A man sang gently in the corner, fingers expertly playing the lute. 

_We’ll be there for you._

It seemed like a nice song, Arson thought, but the thought got quickly interrupted by Odie pulling on his arm.

“What?” he asked. His friend pointed upward, at the sign, and he had an epiphany. “Ohh! _That_ Spicy Rat.”

“I still don’t understand why the rat’s spicy,” Odie grumbled, leaning against Arson. Arson shrugged. Thought. Grinned. 

“Let’s find out,” he suggested. 

Odie gave their friend one of their patented _are you kidding me_ looks. “We are not going into a bar. We were told explicitly to stay away from here!”

“By a creepy butcher,” Arson protested. “And I’m not inclined to listen to him. Anyway, the music is nice.”

“Creepy butcher might have had a point,” Odie muttered and followed Arson inside anyway. 

It wasn’t crowded by any means, though that was likely due to the early hour, and there was a large bulletin board plastered with notices. The kids browsed it for a few moments, then decided that there was nothing interesting to see there. 

The singer approached them, a gentle smile on his friendly face. 

“What brings you two in here?” he asked.

“To find out why the rat is spicy,” Arson answered, shifting his attention to tug at Odie’s arm and break the stare-off they had started with a weird-looking guy in the corner. 

“We have yet to find the answer to that,” the bard said with a laugh. “It’s one of those things that just _is_ , I suppose. Anyway, it would keep the birds from eating it.”

Arson shrugged, question answered, and tugged on his friend’s arm again. 

Odie blinked over at him, then tilted their head. “Time to go.” 

“Yep. Apparently, it _just is_.” He wasn’t happy with that explanation, but it seemed to be the only one they were going to get. 

“Okay.”

“And stop trying to pick fights,” Arson chastised on their way out the door. 

“Hey, he looked at me funny,” Odie protested.

“I get the feeling _all_ his looks are funny,” Arson grumbled as he walked. 

They followed the path for quite some time, emerging from the other side of town into a field with a farm visible down the road. To the right of the farm were some trees, a forest of sorts. 

“Hey, that’s Keshi Forest!” Odie cheered. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” 

“Let’s _no_ ,” Arson protested. “We gotta get home in the morning, and I am _not_ getting lost in a haunted forest for my dad to come and find me.”

“You suck,” Odie grumbled. 

Despite Arson’s protests, they continued to walk until they found some chairs in the middle of a grassy area. Arson grinned and wandered off, pulling his sword to hack at the grass. Odie, on the other hand, sat down and began to play with the crystal, watching rainbows dance across the other chair. As they moved the crystal, a white spot appeared on the wood. 

“Arson! Get over here!” Odie called, focusing that white spot on the corner of the chair, the grin of a troublemaker blooming across their face.

Arson - who had discovered that cutting the grass does, indeed, sometimes net rupees (and more often, bugs) - quickly joined his friend, bending over to watch the white spot on the wood begin to smoke. He cackled and clasped his hands together, kneeling to watch the sun work its magic. 

The wood bloomed to fire. The troublemakers cheered. 

A sharp voice cut across: “What _are_ you doing to the furniture?”

Two heads turned quickly to the source of the voice: a girl about their age with long blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She looked none too happy about the situation, nor the fact that the chair was now on fire. 

“Put it out,” she ordered. “It’ll catch the field on fire.” 

“No it won’t,” Arson intoned, turning his attention back to the fire as it began to overtake the seat of the chair. 

“It will, and then the fields will be in danger,” the girl said, stepping closer. “Put it out, _now._ ” Her tone implied that she expected to be obeyed immediately. It was a pity that Odie and Arson had absolutely no intention of doing so. 

The fire bloomed higher, threatening the back rungs of the chair. 

The blonde girl opened her water skin and tossed water on the fire, causing an explosion of smoke and two very disappointed groans. 

“What’d you do _that_ for?” Odie challenged, standing up to face the girl front-on. 

The blonde was not intimidated. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “You were going to burn the fields down if that got out of hand,” she stated regally. 

“Oh shit,” Arson muttered, prodding Odie’s side. He had just noticed her belt, the three triangles and wings on it, and knew exactly what that meant. Odie could absolutely _not_ pick a fight with this girl. 

“It wouldn’t have gotten out of hand. Arson and I burn stuff all the time,” Odie said, stepping forward and ignoring his friend’s prodding. “And who are you to order us around like that? We don’t answer to you!”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed and her dainty hands clenched into fists. Arson noticed that she, too, had a sword, and judging by the crest on her belt, she probably knew how to use it. 

“Odie, _stop,_ ” he warned, prodding his friend again. 

“I can give you any order I want. It’s _my_ job to protect this place,” the girl snapped, her tone imperious. 

“Bull _crap_. What do you got to protect it _from_? Nothing!” they challenged.

“Troublemakers who want to watch the world burn, _clearly_ ,” the girl stated, her shoulders rolling back and chin tilting up just a bit more. The motion drew her up two inches taller than Odie. 

They weren’t happy with this and attempted to draw themself taller than the girl. It didn’t work. 

Arson, sensing disaster, stepped between them with his back to the girl.

“You need to stop, _now_ ,” he warned, putting his hands on Odie’s shoulders. 

Even he was taller than Odie, and now that they were in a mood, they would not be stopped. “Get out of my way,” they warned, hands clenched. 

Arson pushed Odie to the ground. 

The girl drew her sword, and Arson turned to meet it with his own, protecting his friend. 

The girl huffed. “You _dare_ draw your sword on me?” Though, admittedly, she was impressed by his speed.

“You drew first,” Arson said steadily, lowering his. “I’m only protecting my friend.”

To the blonde girl’s disappointment, this boy didn’t seem to want to fight. She tutted and put her sword away in favor of bending to pick up her waterskin. 

“You need to be more careful where you’re setting fires,” she said. “The winds get rough around here, and one ember would have destroyed the entire season’s crop.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and reached forward with an open hand. “But I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Zelda.”

Odie gaped at the girl. Zelda…as in… “ _Princess_ Zelda?” they asked from their place on the ground. _Oh shit_.

The girl just smiled.

“Why do you think I was trying to keep you from picking a fight with her? Didn’t you see her belt,” Arson grouched, turning to his friend to help them off the ground. Over his shoulder, he said “My name is Arson. This is Odie. They’re a disaster.”

“And Arson’s an idiot,” Odie supplied with a grin, familiar with this set of insults. “Too much guts for his own good, you know?” 

“I am aware of the phenomenon,” Zelda said, bowing her head in a greeting. 

Odie tossed her a wave and stepped forward, clearly not learning their lesson. “So, why are you all the way up _here_?” they asked, putting their hands on their hips as they offered yet another challenge. 

Arson groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, but opted to sit down on the soaked and scorched chair instead. “If you get your ass kicked by her, I’m going to laugh at you,” he said.

Zelda, on the other hand, laughed and waved a hand. “I’m visiting some family. My mother likes to travel, and I enjoy going with her. And the two of you?”

“Errands,” Odie said, rolling their eyes. “Our first mission and it’s _errands_. And Arson won’t even check out Keshi Forest with me.”

“Again: Not getting lost just so dad has to come find us,” Arson defended, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. 

“Isn’t it _haunted_?” Zelda asked, seeming all too excited by the prospect, given her position.

Odie grinned and nodded emphatically. “ _Terribly_ haunted. It’s said that people who go in don’t come out again!”

They clasped hands, snickering.

Arson took one look at the grins on the faces of those two and groaned. “Fine!” he snapped, springing up out of the chair. “I mean, can’t say no to the _princess_ , can we?”

Zelda smirked. She had gotten her way, and she knew it. 

“But don’t call me princess,” she said, straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. “Better people don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These children are all disasters.


	6. Vocabulary Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wild Zelda appears! And more shenanigans... And the plot _finally_ gets rolling.

At first, nothing seemed wrong with the forest at all. It was green and smelled crisp. Flowers bloomed around the bases of the trees. Birds sang in the branches. Haunted forest? Absolutely not.

And then it started. Faint at first, unintelligible, but it was definitely there: a voice yelling angrily. 

Odie grinned at Zelda, who beamed right back. “I think that’s a ghost,” Odie said, clenching their fists. 

“What, do you plan on trying to fight it?” Zelda asked, and Arson had to admit that she had gotten the measure of his ridiculous friend pretty quickly. He didn’t tell her how Odie had been startled by a Goron. That would ruin their image!

“Well, if I have to,” Odie said with a smirk. “I’ll fight anything if I have to. Nothing scares me!”

“Gorons,” Arson said, deciding to go ahead and ruin his friend’s image if they were going to be bragging like _that_. Everyone knew that Arson was the truly courageous one. Odie, though… Odie had a punch that would down a grown man, and they knew it.

“Shut up,” they protested. “I’m not scared of Gorons!” 

Arson went to say something else, but a shrill voice cut across: _Come at me, whale licker! I bet you can’t--_

The group froze on the spot, listening as the cursing continued. Odie nodded in approval, mentally taking notes from the voice in the forest, seeming disappointed as it faded away. 

“Well, I suppose _that’s_ what’s haunting this place?” Zelda asked. 

Odie shrugged. “I dunno. It doesn’t sound like a ghost.”

“What’s a ghost supposed to sound like?” Arson asked sardonically. “ _‘Oooo I’m going to kill you’_?”

“How’m I supposed to know? I’ve never met one,” Odie said, splaying their hands out. “But definitely more warbly than that.”

“Come on, let’s go see if we can find the source,” Arson said, grinning. Now that they were in the forest, he _did_ want to explore. There had to be something here contributing to all the rumors of being haunted, after all.

“I’m not sure that’s wise,” Zelda said, but she tightened the strings on her sleeves and stepped forward anyway. It didn’t seem as if she would be easy to put off of a challenge. 

As they walked, it grew darker and the air became more oppressive. The voice drifted along the wind more than a few times, making Odie chuckle or smirk every time it came up with some new, ridiculous insult. 

“Whoever that ghost is, it’s got quite the vocabulary,” Odie said in appreciation. “I’ve learned six new swear words and two new curses already, and it hasn’t even been an hour!”

“Shrill, too,” Zelda mused.

Arson chuckled. “I like it.”

“You _would_ ,” Odie said, rolling their eyes. Their friend’s taste in humans was undoubtedly questionable. That was why they were around, after all: to make sure that Arson didn’t make any _unreasonable_ friends. They still weren’t sure about the princess. 

“— _feeble-brained son of a_ —” was the newest one, only half catching their ears as they stepped through a stone arch into what almost looked like a ruined town. There were carvings in the stone, swirls and birds and symbols that Odie and Arson had never seen before. 

Zelda stepped closer, fingers going to trace the carvings as her head tipped, and she whipped out a pad of paper and some charcoal, noting them down. “I’ve never seen anything like this before!” she said enthusiastically, going up on her toes to see the higher ones better. “Ruins like this are hard to come by. There’s a few here and there, but — oh! Look at this bird! I know this symbol! It dates back to the era of myth!”

“ _What do you know, you pile of pebbles?_ ” the voice snapped, suddenly clearer than ever. 

Arson immediately drew his sword, sliding into a fighting stance. Odie, likewise, raised their fists and put their back to the princess. 

Zelda, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. 

“Well, you see, this particular style of bird drawing relates back to a really old story that’s about Hyrule’s creation,” she chirped, as if she was talking to one of her two new trouble-making friends. “I’ve only ever seen it in that context before.”

The voice was silent, allowing Zelda to continue making notes on the carvings in the pillar. She dashed to another one, a bright smile on her face. Odie and Arson followed, eyes peeled in the half-light for any threats. 

“ _Get out of here you great ugly foul beast!”_ the voice suddenly snapped, centered to the left of the group. Arson stepped forward, his eyes seeking out whatever had upset the ghost.

“Uhh, freeze,” Odie said cautiously, spotting the threat first. Their eyes were glued before them on a very large, black wolf with white markings on its body and a white swirl on his face. 

The wolf was sitting in the clearing, watching the group with curious eyes. Who knew how long it had been there! Odie did not like this one bit.

Arson, on the other hand, perked up and immediately re-sheathed his sword.

“He’s wagging his tail, see?” he pointed out with a grin, indicating what was definietly not just a stray dog. 

“Guys?” Zelda said, having turned around to see the target of the conversation. “That’s a _wolf._ It will eat you if you try to pet it.”

“I dunno about that. He seems friendly,” Arson said, edging closer to the canine, hand out slightly in front of him.

The wolf looked between the three in the group and directly at the princess to huff, as if annoyed by this boy’s foolishness. Its tail thumped rhythmically behind it, though, and its body language was relaxed, despite its annoyance. 

Arson approached and knelt, hand out for the wolf to sniff. Frankly, the wolf was tempted to give him a little nip to teach him a lesson about approaching wolves, but he sniffed instead. This kid was a disaster. Arson immediately beamed and gave the wolf a scratch between the ears, which made the wolf’s tail pick up its pace. 

Well, at least this kid was a _polite_ disaster.

“See? Friendly!” Arson declared as the wolf pointedly rolled onto his back in a ploy to get the much-coveted belly rubs. There weren’t many to be had in this weird forest, after all. His quarry conceded and immediately began rubbing the wolf’s belly and chest. _Perfect._

“ _That’s a wolf, you idiot, get the fuck away from it! How stupid can you be_?” the ghost voice snapped again, shrill as ever and very annoyed. 

“Oh, shut up! I’m fine!” Arson snapped back, hand still on the wolf. 

The wolf rolled over onto its stomach and put its head on the ground, looking between the other two children standing by the pillars. They didn’t seem so sure. 

“ _Get out of here, you stupid dog_!” the ghost snapped. 

The wolf put a paw over its ears and huffed in annoyance. Shrill jerk. 

Odie just stared. 

“Did you just make friends with a _wolf_?” Zelda asked, just as bewildered. The wolf barked in confirmation and stood up, approaching the girl. He took two sniffs of her hand and lowered his head, front limbs bending slightly. 

Odie stared some more, their jaw gaping. Was that wolf _bowing_? 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Zelda said gently, kneeling and putting a hand on the wolf’s head. “You’re not a normal wolf, are you?”

“No shit,” Odie said, echoed by the voice in the forest. 

“Are you going to calm down, now?” Arson asked pointedly, staring at the forest in its entirety and raising his hands. 

“ _Chosen, my ass_ ,” the voice griped. “ _You’re an idiot and you’re going to get yourself and your friends killed. Right here. In this forest. There’s some nasty shit in here_.”

“Which you would know about, of course,” Arson snapped back, folding his arms as he argued with what was definitely just air. 

“Officially the weirdest day of my life,” Odie said, bending to speak into Zelda’s ear. 

Zelda shrugged. “I dunno. I’ve seen weirder. Ghosts aren’t that bad, especially if they’re not trying to kill you.”

“Yeah, but the bowing wolf takes the cake,” Odie mumbled. The wolf huffed and wagged his tail, looking around. Were they done talking yet?

“ _I got better shit to do than talk you out of getting yourself killed, you dumbass,_ ” the voice continued to snarl. “ _We are utterly and completely doomed!_ ” Somehow, the ghost’s voice had become even _more_ shrill with this dramatic statement.

The wolf looked to his right and barked, a huff of a noise as he trotted over, gaining the attention of all three children. 

Arson, who had more sense than the voice gave him credit for, drew his sword once more, eyes on the trees where - it seemed - some shadows were congealing. 

“ _What, you’re staying_?” 

The wolf borfed pointedly. 

“ _Are you going to be useful_ at all?” the shadows asked the wolf, who borfed again and looked to the three children. “ _Good. Keep them away from the hinox, if you care about your skin_.” The wolf borfed once more and looked directly at the shadows once more. 

“I think I’m going to give up on asking what’s happening,” Odie said quietly, their head tilted in utter bewilderment. 

“ _Probably a good idea, four-eyes._ ” 

“Hey!” Odie protested. 

Arson stepped in front of the shadows, chin lowered and a dangerous look in his eyes. “Don’t insult my friend,” he warned, hand tight on his unsheathed sword. 

“Okay, enough fighting,” Zelda said, hands up as she approached the glop of shadows that was currently the center of attention. The shadows formed a slightly more human shape, which bowed to the girl. “Hm. You _do_ have manners.” 

“ _When I want_.” 

The wolf huffed another bark, this time stepping forward into the thicker trees and turning around, as if saying _follow me_. 

Arson followed without hesitation, slanting a glance to the side when the humanoid shadows dissolved. “It seems like we’re going to have to be on our guard,” he said, turning to speak over his shoulder. “Odie, you guard her. Zelda, I’m assuming you know how to use your sword?” 

“Yes,” she said quietly, drawing it from its sheath. “I have been trained from a young age.”

“Yeah, we have too,” Odie said, pulling two knives from their belt. “Let’s get to whatever this wolf is wanting us to get to and then get out of here.”

“Lead on,” Arson said to the wolf. 

The wolf huffed and turned around, glad they had finally gotten around to _listening_. Honestly, he didn’t think he’d been anywhere _near_ as dense. He pitied his predecessor if he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to andrhars and [The Voice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11532468). If you haven't read it, please do. It's awesome!
> 
> No, that's no regular wolf, and that's no regular ghost. And no, I have _no_ idea what I'm writing at this point. The whole timeline's just collapsed into itself and decided it's happening _now_.


	7. F-ing Magic

The wolf led them deeper into the forest. As they walked, it got darker, foggier, and the general aura of the place became more oppressive. The Voice that had been harassing them had even stopped, but every once in a while, Arson could see shadows congealing nearby. It was almost like the ghost wanted to join them.

Zelda was humming a soft, lilting tune, one that sounded vaguely familiar, but Arson couldn’t place it. It was somewhat comforting, as if there was this… _presence_ within it. 

And then Odie began to sing. 

_En dašebu nobe šundu  
tje̞ šutwu kewenu swa lei_

Zelda stopped in her tracks and turned to face Odie, brows knitted. “How do you know that song?” she demanded. 

Odie laughed. “Oh, you have no idea how many times I listened to it - words and all - to learn my dance for the Green Ceremony!” 

“The Green Ceremony…?” Zelda was somewhat suspicious. Why would commoners know this song? 

“Yeah, the whole coming-of-age, congrats-you’re-thirteen-now-pick-a-job thing that we do. It’s the Goddess’s song, right?” Odie flashed a charming smile at Zelda. “We sing it and there’s this carefully choreographed dance that goes with it, and it’s to get her attention in hopes that she will bless the ones who had turned thirteen.” 

“Or something like that,” Arson said with a shrug. “Who knows if she’s even listening.” 

Zelda stared between them, befuddled. “Its proper name is the Ballad of the Goddess,” she said, trying to buy time as this new information (and heresy! Excuse you, Arson!) processed. “It’s known among the court, but it’s not something that many commoners know.” 

_“And why do we care?”_ the Voice chimed in. _“You three have somewhere you’re trying to get to, so can’t you talk and walk?”_

Zelda sighed. Honestly, why was that ghost _so rude_? 

The wolf huffed from where it had stopped ahead of them, waiting _oh so patiently_ for the conversation to end. These children! Ugh! 

“Right, you do have a point,” the princess said much more politely than she wanted to. But just because this voice ghost thing was salty didn’t mean she got to be. She had a reputation to uphold. She smoothed her skirt and rolled her shoulders back before stepping around Odie and Arson to join the wolf… and then just keep walking. “Are you coming or not?” 

“Right!” the other two said in unison, taking off to catch up to her. 

——— 

“Okay, I’ll admit it. This place is _creepy_ ,” Odie grumbled as the forest finally fell into pitch black. They were sure they hadn’t been here long enough for it to be night, so this had to be magic. 

“Creepy is not the word I would use for it,” Zelda said quietly, as if she was trying to hide the shaking in her voice. “This darkness is unnatural. It reeks of magic.” 

_“Of course it’s fucking magic,”_ their new ghost friend intoned. _“It’s always fucking magic, isn’t it?”_

“Well, you do live _here_ ,” Zelda shot back, her hand slipping to the sword on her belt as she heard rustling in the distance. “I don’t think you get to complain about magic.” 

“Shh!” Arson hissed, closing his eyes as he found his back against Odie’s. Nudging their elbow, he said “There’s something moving in the bushes to your right - my left. Guard the princess and let me handle it.” 

“You’re an idiot,” Odie whispered back, but they reached out to find Zelda’s arm to pull her close. “What’s your plan?” 

“I don’t have one, yet.” 

_“I can see through this darkness. Follow my voice and swing when I tell you only in the direction I tell you,”_ the ghost ordered as the wolf began to butt up against Zelda and Odie, guiding them somewhere safe. It was best that these two did not get too close to the fight. 

“I don’t want to sit this out! I’m a perfectly capable fighter!” Zelda protested in a hiss. 

“That might be true, but you absolutely _cannot_ get hurt out here,” Odie said, tucking the girl behind them and against what felt like a wall. 

Arson drew his sword and opened his eyes — not that it would help much — ready for his next set of orders. He would have to trust this mysterious Forest Voice, it seemed, but despite his awful attitude, the Voice didn’t seem to have any sort of intention to hurt the trio. 

_“Six steps forward, three to your right, turn left and slash,”_ the ghost said, and Arson followed through. He was mildly surprised when his sword connected with flesh. The squeal the creature let out sounded like the bokoblins he had seen on the road. There was another squawk not too far from him. It didn’t come alone. 

_“Left, forward two, swing in front of you.”_

_“Spin with your sword.”_

_“Eight forward, turn right, swing.”_

_“Behind you, NOW!”_

_“Wait. Just wait. Spin now!”_

The orders came and came, and Arson followed the directions to the letter. The ghost didn’t let him down, either. Squeals and hisses sounded as he took on bokoblins he couldn’t see. 

_“Moblin ahead, duck!”_

He ducked. 

_“STAB!”_

He stabbed. 

Again and again he followed the orders, and he was beginning to anticipate them, almost able to _hear_ or _sense_ the enemies closing in around him. 

And it was _just_ him. They didn’t seem to notice Odie or the princess. They didn’t seem to care. He swung again, not waiting for the order, and took out something that had been flapping its way toward him. Probably keese. 

And then…there was something glowing green ahead. Arson paused to look at it, wondering what it was, and a hand landed on his shoulder. He immediately elbowed backward, spinning to slap his sword against the side of its owner. 

_“Holy shit! If I wasn’t a fucking ghost, you would have gutted me!”_ the Voice cried, sounding more impressed than it did peeved. 

“No I wouldn’t have. Bokos don’t have hands. You would have gotten hit with the flat of the blade,” Arson stated, still tense. “And why did you just sneak up on me?” 

The Voice had no answer for that one. 

“Look, I can’t even hear the others, okay? So we’re pretty far out,” Arson stated, sheathing his sword. 

_“I wouldn’t put that up.”_

“Anything else around?” 

_“No, but…just to be safe.”_

“I’m going to check out the glowing green thing. You’re going to tell me if anything nasty has popped back up. Can you sense the others?” 

_“Yes. I’ll tell you if they’re in need of help as well.”_

“Good.” 

The glowing green thing glowed more insistently as they approached, which made it even more curious. It seemed to be floating as well. And it seemed to be _calling to him_. Once Arson was closer, though, he saw that it wasn’t, in fact, floating, but a green gem resting on a pedestal, glowing merrily away. 

Warmth and comfort flowed through him as he stood in front of it. He sheathed his sword and leaned forward. The stone pulsed happily. 

“What…is this?” he asked, reaching forward. He wanted to see what it was up close. 

When he picked it up, however, the oppressive darkness of the forest turned into a glowing blue room. In this room was a woman with long green hair and a flowing green dress. 

“Hello,” she said. “It seems you found the Forest Stone.” 

“The… Uh… ???” Arson stammered, blinking at the woman. Her form was hazy, shifting, vague. Was _she_ the ghost voice? Couldn’t be! Or was she…? 

“And it seems to like you,” she continued. “You are one of Hylia’s Chosen. There is something you must do.” 

The name of the goddess snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“I am _definitely_ not one of Hylia’s chosen,” he protested. “Why would she choose _me_ , anyway?” 

“I wouldn’t know,” the woman said vaguely. “But, if anything, that stone has also chosen you. And my guardian of the forest seems to agree.” 

“The rude guy or the wolf?” 

“The wolf, though he was once one of Hylia’s Chosen as well.” 

So, no explanation for the foul mouthed ghost? Oh well. Arson looked at the stone in his hand. It was no longer glowing or pulsing as if it was trying to capture his attention. It was, however, one of the prettiest gems he had ever seen, shimmering and shifting under the surface as he gazed upon it. 

“There is something important that you must do,” the woman said, coming closer and bending to look at the stone as well. “There are two others like this. One is in the Lanayru Province. The other is on Death Mountain. Gather them. The other two will give you more information from there.” 

Arson’s jaw dropped. If one was in Lanayru, and the other was on Death Mountain — therefore _Eldin_ — then he was speaking to… 

He dropped to one knee in a bow, hand over his heart. 

“Lady Farore! I apologize. I did not recognize you.” 

Farore laughed and held out a hand to help Arson off the ground. “You do not need to bow. Though, I am impressed that you know who I am. Our names aren’t well-remembered among Hylia’s children.” 

“My parents aren’t the biggest fans of Hylia,” he supplied, carefully taking the Goddess’s hand as he stood. “The three Golden Goddesses, however, haven’t offended them.” 

“Well, I’m afraid they won’t be terribly thrilled with us, either, after this,” Farore said with a shrug. “But there’s not much we can do about that. There’s not much time.” She placed her hands on Arson’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “You must gather the other two stones and bring them to the Temple, to Hylia. A great evil stirs, and we must do whatever we can to ensure it doesn’t wake.” 

“Lanayru. Death Mountain. Got it,” Arson said, straightening up with a nod. If one of the Golden Goddesses was asking this of him, then it must be important. 

“The Temple is hidden for the time being. We will tell you how to get there when it’s time,” Farore said, leaning forward to kiss Arson on the forehead. “Now go. Your friends will worry.” 

“Wait!” Arson protested. “Wait, I, uh… I have a question.” 

“Oh?” 

“Why do you call me Arson?” 

“Is that not your name?” the goddess asked. 

“Well… Kind of. It’s a nickname. My parents named me Carson, but I know _that’s_ not supposed to be my name, either.” 

“So your name _is_ Arson. You like it best, after all.” 

“Well…yeah.” 

“Then why would I not call you by the name you like best? Goddesses know these things.” The green-haired woman laughed and kissed Arson once more on the forehead. “Now go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally into the meat of the issue! Also I suck at fight scenes, sorry. 
> 
> Also more shameless shout-outs for [The Voice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11532468/chapters/25890033) by [andrhars!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrhars/pseuds/andrhars)  
> [Ballad of the Goddess](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23hJeaLotEw) is from Skyward Sword. It came on in my car and I had the whole idea of Zelda humming it and Odie singing along.


	8. Worst Plan in the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More inane chattering, sorry!

_“—up you shithead! Wake up already!”_

Arson gasped and sat up, looking around. Sitting at his left were Zelda and Odie, both of whom looked terribly worried. There was a strange man sitting to his right, looking extremely pissed off. And in his hand… 

“The Forest Stone.” 

_“About fucking time!”_

“What?” Zelda asked, leaning closer. “Are you okay? That guy said you just… _dropped_.” 

“I’m fine,” Arson said quietly, still looking at the stone. It was still, now, not shifting or glowing like it had before. 

_“Well, among bokoblins and keese, you also managed to kill a rock. Congratulations,”_ the ghost said, also leaning closer. 

Wait. He wasn’t a ghost anymore. Arson blinked rapidly, taking in the light blonde hair and red eye, the bandages and tight-fitting clothing. Who was this? He was…kind of cute, honestly. Odie was right. Right up his alley. 

“I don’t think he killed it,” Zelda said, reaching over to guide Arson’s hand to her, essentially bringing the stone closer. He snapped out of his thoughts. “I can feel some sort of power off of this. It might… Hm…” 

“I met Farore,” Arson said quietly. 

“Really?” Odie said, leaning closer as well. 

“Really. She said there are two more of these, that there’s some sort of Great Evil… I…” 

_“Are you sure it wasn’t just a weird dream?”_ the Voice — well, he wasn’t a voice at the moment — asked. It didn’t even sound very snarky. He almost sounded worried. 

“Dreams do have meaning, you know,” Zelda said as she reached forward to close Arson’s fingers around the stone. 

_“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know, princess,”_ the man grumbled, rolling his eyes. _“Sheikah often have the gift of foresight, you should know that.”_

Zelda visibly bristled at being called ‘princess’, and then some more at the man’s dismissive words. Odie brought themself to their feet and clenched their fists. “You don’t need to be so nasty to her,” they said, voice low. 

“Guys, please, let’s not fight,” Arson said, also rising to his feet. He tucked the stone into a pocket. “It’s been a really long day.” 

The ghost rolled his eyes, shrugged, stood. 

“Who even _are_ you?” Arson asked, turning to the man. “I mean…we don’t even know your name.” 

The ghost smiled and disappeared rather than answering the question, which would have annoyed Arson more if he hadn’t been feeling absolutely drained. 

“So…now what?” Odie asked. “You said there were more stones. Where?” 

“Death Mountain and somewhere in Lanayru,” Arson said. 

“So if we go to get those, do you think you’ll meet Din and Nayru?” Odie mused. 

“I don’t know. She also said something weird. She called me Hylia’s Chosen.” 

“Chosen…” Zelda said quietly. “That ghost mentioned something about Chosen too.” 

“I wonder what that means…?” Arson said quietly, looking around. 

Odie laughed. “Funny. Your parents don’t even _like_ Hylia.” 

“Right?” Arson confirmed. Wasn’t that just ironic. His parents had done everything they could to keep Hylia out of his life, and yet, here he was, _Chosen_. It was like a bad comedy! 

“How can your parents _not like_ Hylia?” Zelda asked, sounding personally offended. 

Arson shrugged. 

Odie shrugged. 

“Apparently she pissed them off when I was born,” Arson offered. “I don’t share the grudge, you know. She’s been perfectly nice to us despite that.” 

Odie shrugged again. 

Zelda sighed and tilted her head back, looking at the sky. “It’s getting late. Do you think we should head back to town…?” 

“We’re going to need supplies,” Odie said, turning to Arson. “Especially if we’re going to _Death Mountain_.” It didn’t seem to occur to them that they could just…not go along. Wherever Arson went, Odie would too. “And we should at least get what our parents sent us for and take it back, that way they won’t think we just got offed by some creatures or something.” 

“That’s probably wise,” Zelda agreed, looking down at her hands in concern. “And my mother will be wondering where I am. It would not do to have all of Hyrule in a panic.” She frowned deeply, then looked at the other two. “Come with me to the city, and when you guys go back home, I’ll tag along. I won’t be able to sneak away unless my mother’s asleep and the guards aren’t paying attention.” Which…wouldn’t be hard. But it did require leaving in the middle of the night. 

“That sounds like the worst idea ever,” Odie said. “What happened to not having Hyrule in a panic?” 

“I’ll leave a note. Nothing _too_ specific so she can’t go after you guys, but just enough that she knows I’ll be okay.” She smiled. “After all, if this is the will of the Goddesses, I should be involved, right?” 

Arson didn’t know anything about that particular plan, but he could tell that his new friend was just as stubborn as he and Odie could be. 

“If you want to come with us, then meet us in the fields near Alfa Alari — the East side — in two days.” He rolled his shoulders and looked at both of his friends. “I know it’s a bad idea, but… I think I agree. If you decide you don’t want to come, or if you can’t make it, that’s okay.” 

“Two days? Got it,” Zelda said, smiling. 

Then a wolf huffed at their feet, sitting at attention as if he’d been there the whole time. 

“What do you think of this plan?” Zelda asked the wolf, reaching over to give him ear scratches. The wolf nodded once in assent. It was a good plan. 

“We should get back to Cafa Dorei, then,” Arson said, also reaching over to pet the wolf. 

Even Odie joined in with the petting. The wolf had protected them earlier. “Will you show us the way out?” they asked. 

The wolf borfed and nodded again, standing to lead them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I'll be able to write well, but not right now. My brain is absolutely fried from school, and the last chapter and this just sort of... _spawned_ while I was reading some decompression fanfic. Send some love to [Riyazura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riyazura/pseuds/Riyazura) who wrote our very first Eggbot fic, [Nothing Less](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275884). Spoilers for Age of Calamity, Chapter 1. Also someone please send me more Eggbot fic. That thing is _illegally_ adorable! I'm _dying_ out here! I need AoC STAT!
> 
> And once more, a shout-out to [andrhars!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrhars/pseuds/andrhars) for writing [The Voice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11532468/chapters/25890033) and not being upset when I kind of yoinked his Sheik personality. I just love that fic so much. It's complete, now, and it is _worth it_! 
> 
> Now I have to study for finals, so I don't know when I'll be updating again. When the plot bunny spawns, I suppose!


	9. An Expected Visitor

The kids made it home without any incident (much to their dismay), and their parents were waiting on the path to greet them. They were interrogated as to _why, exactly_ they had twigs and leaves in their hair and clothing, but their answers soothed their parents’ frayed nerves. Arson was glad that he’d had the foresight to suggest that Zelda keep the Forest Stone - she _was_ the princess, after all, so she had the most right to it - given that he didn’t have to explain something else suspicious.

On the second evening after their return, Arson managed - after some wheedling - to convince his parents to let him stay at Odie’s place. The plan was to sneak out early in the morning, find Zelda, and get this adventure started! Though, there were some things they would need to get… 

Late that night, a figure could be just barely seen skulking through town, peeking through windows. Given the information that they had… Ah, yes, this one. The figure straightened up to knock at the door — 

It opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with her white hair piled on her head. She bowed her head and moved aside, gesturing that her guest should come in. 

“Princess, to what do we owe the pleasure?” she asked once they were both inside with the door shut, smiling softly at the girl. 

Zelda gaped at the woman in shock. She had thought that she was well disguised in her tunic and trousers, her hair in a long braid, and the hood over her hair. 

“My dear princess, if you wish to not be recognized, you should perhaps wear a scarf,” Rove continued, gesturing once more further into the house, where a tea pot sat steaming on the table and two cups set across from one another. 

“Ah…” Zelda stammered, still in shock. “Well…” 

“You have come to fetch Odalia and Arson, correct?” Rove inquired as she poured both cups of tea, watching the princess settle herself and find a seat. 

“They told you? Wait, that wouldn’t make sense…” How would Odie and Arson have known that she wasn’t going to wait in the field? She’d had to make a break for it early, and it didn’t seem safe to wait out there alone. 

“Oh, no, Princess. They haven’t breathed a word. But I _was_ expecting you.” Rove smiled again at the girl, trying to put her at ease. 

It finally seemed to click, because Zelda’s eyes went wide and she breathed out a small “Oh,” but then settled into the chair across from Rove. “Thank you for the tea,” she said quietly, still a bit bewildered. “Are…you going to stop us?” 

“Oh, quite the opposite,” Rove said, gesturing to the corner where three bags rested, as well as a sword Zelda would recognize as Arson’s and Odie’s daggers. “This mission is of the utmost importance, if I understand things correctly. Danger looms, and once more, it is _children_ who are chosen to pre-empt the impending destruction.” She sighed, her mouth set in a tight line. Just because she wasn’t stopping them didn’t mean she was happy about it. 

“Unfortunately,” Zelda said quietly. “History suggests that it is often that way. And…from what I understood of the events…” She sighed, shrugging. She wasn’t quite sure of what was going on, only what Arson had told them of his experience. 

“Just because I am permitting this does not mean that I do not want you to be prepared,” Rove said firmly. “Do you know how to use that rapier at your side?” 

“I do. My mother taught me.” 

“Good. I am afraid that the time will come that you will have to use it without hesitation. Your friends’ lives — as well as your own — will depend on it. Hylia has a tendency to choose those with soft hearts, and often, this means that they are often hesitant to harm others.” Rove leaned forward, hands curled around her teacup. “You will have no choice, Princess. Do you accept this?” 

“I do,” Zelda said confidently. She would do what she had to in order to protect the citizens of her country…as well as her friends. “But why do you say this is Hylia’s doing? Arson said that…” She trailed off, worried that she had said too much. 

“That Farore was the one he met?” 

Zelda nodded, blushing. How much did this woman know? 

“Hylia herself told me of the events of Keshi Forest,” Rove said, her voice hushed as if she was sharing a secret. 

It made sense, Zelda decided. Rove looked like a Sheikah, and her words just confirmed it. She was blessed with foresight like many other Sheikah. She nodded again. 

They spoke for a while longer, the night moving on into early dawn. 

Quiet padding footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. Confident. Must be Arson, Rove guessed. There was a thud following, and then a hissed curse. Ah, yes, Odalia. 

Arson appeared first at the mouth of the hall, startled to a stop when he saw Rove and Zelda awaiting them at the table, breakfast ready (and Zelda’s plate almost clean). Odie walked into him and cursed again. 

“Why’d you stop?” Odie asked. 

“Uh… I think we’re caught,” Arson whispered. 

“Whossat with Mama?” Odie asked again, dropping their chin on Arson’s shoulder, unbothered by the fact that they were caught. They felt Arson’s shrug. 

“What, don’t you recognize me?” Zelda said with a laugh, then turned to Rove. “See, I don’t need a scarf.” 

“You most definitely do,” Rove protested, already rising to greet the other two. She kissed Arson’s forehead, then Odie’s. “Eat, you two. All your preparations are taken care of.” 

“What?” Odie asked in shock. 

“Your bags are packed and your weapons are sharpened. You will be joining the princess in her journey, right?” 

Odie only stared, confused. Was their mother _condoning_ this? 

Arson, on the other hand, joined Zelda at the table and dug in. “I didn’t recognize you until you spoke,” he said, grinning at her. “You did well.” 

“Well, I read,” Zelda explained with a shrug. “Come on, Odie, come eat. We _have_ to leave before too many people are awake.” 

Odie gave up as their mother handed them their glasses. “I guess you’re okay with this?” they asked, sitting down. 

Rove sighed. “I wish it could be another way, but I do have to accept that my child was chosen for this task.” She kissed Odie’s forehead again before going off to find a scarf. When she returned, she finished the thought: “The three of you _will_ be cautious, will you not? The wilds of this world are dangerous.” 

“Of course. You know I’ll take care of them,” Arson said with a grin, ever confident. “And it’d be a fu- uh, a really big disaster if something happened to the _princess_ , so we’ll definitely watch out for _her_!” 

Odie nodded in agreement, mouth full. 

“I’m not _helpless_ ,” Zelda protested. She quietly accepted the scarf from Rove, wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling it up to obscure the lower part of her face. At Rove’s nod of approval, she also raised her hood. 

She was grateful that Odie’s mother had packed a separate bag for her as well as the two kids from the village. She had to leave with only what she could fit on her person. At least they would have plenty of supplies. 

Once breakfast was over, the three teenagers quickly gathered their items. Odie didn’t even argue about wearing shoes (though they did plan on getting rid of them as soon as they were out of town). All three of them knew that they needed to make haste in order to dodge the most early risers of the village. 

“Do not worry about what to tell your parents,” Rove said as she kissed Arson’s forehead. “I will explain it all, whether your mother likes it or not.” 

“Thanks,” Arson said. “‘Cause I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to convince her to let me go, _especially_ if Hylia’s involved.” And, to hear Rove tell it, she was. 

“Be safe - all three of you,” Rove said, turning to press a kiss to their child’s forehead, then the princess’s. “I fear that the fate of this world depends on it.” 

“We will,” Zelda said, smiling at the woman. “I’ll make sure they come home safe, and I know they’ll do the same for me.” 

With that, they left, scurrying as quickly out of the village as they could so as to not get caught.


	10. Mad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Arson gets a horrible idea. Because what other ideas are there!

“…so, where to first?"

Zelda’s words were halting and hesitant, the corner of her mouth turned down. There was so much to do! And they had to go so far. The stones they sought lay in Eldin and Lanayru, but getting there—getting past Keshi Forest—would be the challenge. They hadn’t been able to get horses in the village for fear of alerting the adults that they were leaving.

“Duh. Cafa Dorei.” Odie shrugged, a grin on their face. They weren’t sure about this either, but wherever Arson led, they would follow. It had always been that way between Odie and Arson. “Get horses there, then we figure out the rest. But I’m not _walking_ all the way to Death Mountain.”

Zelda laughed a little, nodding. “You’re right. Getting horses ought to be our first priority.”

“Getting out of this wheat field is our priority right now,” Arson said quietly, indicating that the other two needed to lower their voices as well. “And I hear _bokoblins_.” Smelly, nasty, snorty creatures that they were. And Arson knew just how to handle them. “Hey, Odie, you stay with Zelda just in case. I’m going to lure them away,” he suggested, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh, _no_. You’re not gonna _feed them_ , are you? We probably don’t have the food supplies for that,” Odie complained.

Zelda gasped. “ _Feed them_? Are you _crazy_?”

“Yeah,” Arson said, dropping his pack and pulling out a few apples. “They love fruit! Just watch!”

“No!” Zelda puffed up, grabbing Arson’s wrist as he tried to leave. “You’ll get yourself _killed_ , and then where will we be?”

“ _Trust me_ ,” Arson hissed, nodding. At his cue, Odie pulled the princess away. “Watch out for her, but the bokoblins should come to me. When they do, you guys make your way to the edge of the field.”

Odie nodded and bent to pick up Arson’s bag. “I got this. Just hope there’s not a moblin around. Those things are _horrible_.” They didn’t let go of the princess in fear that she would try to stop Arson. His plan was reckless, but he _had_ done this before, many times, and it never went foul unless there was a moblin around.

Arson snuck off with only apples and his sword, darting through the field with ease. There didn’t seem to be a moblin around—thank goodness, or he would have had to abort his plan—so he rolled an apple through the field into the clearing.

A bokoblin saw this and perked up, sniffing a few times before wandering over and scooping up the apple to shove in its mouth. Arson whistled, which got the attention of all the rest, and held his armload of apples out to them.

The red one that wandered over hopped excitedly and squealed, alerting a blue one further away. The blue one came over, snorfling questioningly before it looked to Arson. Oh, this one again. Hey, at least that meant free food! As the chief of the group, it was entitled the first pick, and this…fleshy…whatever did this enough that it knew that it could walk right up to it.

Arson kept the smile off his face—showing teeth was a threat—and stared the blue bokoblin down. He did not budge from his position.

The bokoblin grabbed all the apples, chattered something at Arson, and turned around to walk off. It squealed in delight as it came back, and the other three reds came over to it to rummage through the apples.

Distraction planted, Arson backed into the field to disappear, then high-tailed it to catch up with Odie and Zelda, a bright grin on his face.

“The chief walked up to me!” he cheered as he came up on their heels, hands out for his bag. Odie handed it over without stopping. “It’s never done that before! I think it recognized me from when I gave it that venison before.”

“Awesome!” Odie said, excitement dominating their features. They had been experimenting with this camp for quite some time, after all.

“You are both _mad_ ,” Zelda snapped, finally pulling away from Odie. She stopped and rounded on Arson, shoving him quite hard. “You could have gotten yourself _killed!_ ”

“It never occurred to you that we could make peace with them?” he snapped back, rolling his eyes. “We’ve been working with these for _ages_ , and this is _proof_ —“

“They are _monsters_!” Zelda said. “What don’t you _get?_ They’re incarnates of _evil_!”

“Says who?” Arson said, hand going behind him for his sword, defensive all of a sudden.

“Duh! Everyone! Every scholar ever who has studied them knows they’re creatures connected to Ganon’s Malice!”

“No. They’re _alive._ They are not fated to be evil,” Arson said, a dark look in his eyes and his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword, barely restraining himself from drawing it. It wouldn't do to draw his sword on the princess, but...

Odie placed a hand on his arm.

“Stop. You said we can’t pick fights with the princess, remember?” they said, frowning in concern. He did this _every time_ the nature of the monsters was brought up. He hated the idea that something truly could be evil from birth and fought to change it. Odie, though…wasn’t so sure.

Zelda was fuming, but Odie’s reminder also had her backing down, rolling her eyes. “You could have gotten yourself hurt ‘sall,” she said petulantly, crossing her arms and turning around. “But there’s no point in fighting about it. Come on, we got crap to do.”

Arson sighed, his anger having a very short half-life. “You’re right,” he said quietly, releasing his sword and dropping his eyes. There he went, acting like Odie, and all because— No. No, he didn’t want to think about that anymore. Zelda couldn’t know, after all. No one could.

“Come on. Eldin or Lanayru?” He rolled his shoulders and started walking, casting a smile behind him at the pair. “We gotta pick somewhere to start once we leave Cafa Dorei.”

“Eldin,” Odie said, bright smile on their face. “There’s _fire_.”

Fire _and_ Gorons, and Odie was interested in learning about the rock-people, after all.


	11. Plotting

“Spicy Rat? Seriously?”

Zelda stopped in front of the bar, looking at the sign in absolute bewilderment. “What an absolutely _ridiculous_ name!” She laughed, smile brightening her face. Her hood fell back slightly as she looked. “Guess that _would_ keep the birds from eating it, wouldn’t it?”

“Wait, is _that_ why the rat’s spicy?” Odie asked, looking at the bard with the lute who was sitting at the door. He thought, then nodded. “Well, guess that makes sense.”

“As much sense as a bowing wolf, I’d say,” Arson said, grabbing his two companions and dragging them down the road.

“Just a moment,” the bard asked, walking over to them. “I have a favor to ask. You three look like you’re headed out of town, and I have something that I need to send to Zora’s Domain. Are you headed that way?”

“We are,” Zelda said, stepping forward. She was the most diplomatic of the three, so it was best that she handled this, or at least Odie thought so. They stood behind her, looking intimidating. Though, it was hard to intimidate someone who was twice your size. “And we will be headed that way before we come back here. Is it time-sensitive?”

“Oh, no, just a gift for my sister.” The bard handed over a small package. “As long as it gets to her, then I will be happy.”

“We’ll do it, then!” Zelda chirped, bright smile on her face.

* * *

They managed to get their horses without any other delays, and Zelda actually had the sense to buy a map from the marketplace.

They stood outside the town, their horses grazing on grass at the moment.

“Right, okay, so it looks like we’ll have to go around a huge mountain to get into Lanayru anyway, so Eldin is definitely the right start,” she was saying, tracing a route on their map. “Southwest through this pass, and then turn north to Eldin. It’s mostly a volcano, though. I don’t know how we’ll be able to get up there.”

“Maybe it’s lower,” Arson said in thought. Though, that didn’t sound right for the Goddess of Power. They’d have to prove themselves somehow.

“Well, either way, it’ll be interesting,” Odie said with a grin, leaning closer, half hanging off of Arson’s shoulder. This was normal for them, and Arson had long since stopped asking why they were like that.

“Then we should get moving before we lose too much light,” Zelda stated decisively, nodding once. She then turned to mount her horse, and Arson and Odie followed suit. They had a long way to go.

“There are a couple stables on the way, so we should rest there when we come across them,” Arson said, spurring his horse before pulling the map out again, double-checking. “Like you said, it’s a long way. We’ll need whatever rest we can get, and we don’t know what Din will do to test us.”

“Yeah, that whole thing in the forest kinda came out of nowhere,” Odie said, busy removing their shoes to put in the saddle bags. There was no need for them if they were going to be riding a horse. It had only been a matter of time before they got rid of the shoes anyway. “The ghost said that the attacks stopped when you picked up the stone, so I think that might have been _your_ test.”

“Maybe. And with that in mind,” Zelda chimed in, settling in. She was clearly comfortable on a horse. “We shouldn’t expect that the answer will lie at the foot of the mountain. Scaling Death Mountain is a dangerous challenge as it is. We may have to do that, so we’ll need to find out how to prepare.”

“Well, I’m ready for anything she throws at me!” Odie said, over-confident as always. “I hope we gotta fight a Goron! I want to fight a Goron.”

“You’ll be a greasy spot on the ground,” Arson intoned flatly, still looking at the map. There was a stretch along their path that would be a _very_ narrow pass. He wasn’t sure he liked it. “Zelda, what do you know of the land around here? Who inhabits it? Specifically…well…” At her quizzical look, he elaborated: “There’s a very narrow path. I want to know if you think it’ll be dangerous. If there’s anyone who will…y’know…” Attack.

Zelda shook her head. “As far as I know, the land surrounding the two paths through the mountains is uninhabited. Unfortunately, this means monsters could have taken up residence there.” But she wasn’t opening _that_ disastrous can of worms again. “But there was no problem when a whole royal caravan came through, so if there is anyone, they’re not enemies of Hyrule.”

Arson nodded. “I think I prefer the pass to the south of the plateau,” he said, leaning forward over the map, squinting at the minutia. “The one to the north is much too tight, according to the map.”

“Wouldn’t the tighter one be better, cover-wise? I thought that was a good thing,” Zelda said, horse coming up alongside the young man, peering over at the map in his hands.

“Don’t ask me to look at that thing,” Odie grumbled, feeling a bit left out and wanting to pretend that they didn’t. “Pfft, maps are for nerds anyway. Let’s just slice anything in our path to shreds.” They smirked.

“Now, I doubt there’s any need for that,” was Zelda’s response, still mulling over their options. “I suppose we could go through the forest and scale the mountain early, but we won’t be able to ride at all. These are horses, not goats.”

Arson raised the map again, squinting. Was that a path? “Yeah, we could go over these foothills here and make it to the path on the other side, but we’ll miss both stables that way. I think it’s better to have a set resting point, and we’ll want time to prepare.”

“Hm, I suppose you’re right.” Zelda couldn’t come up with any better plan, either. “So between the weird little plateau and the Lanayru plateau, then? That sounds good.”

Arson was slightly disappointed to have to go _around_ Keshi Forest this time, but that was okay. He’d live. The ghost probably was glad to be rid of them anyway.


	12. A Quiet Moment

“I swear the two of you _share_ a brain cell, and it’s the only one you have,” Zelda grumbled in annoyance.

The disaster twins were, predictably, being a complete disaster again. They had argued so loudly over whether to hunt the boar or the deer that both of their potential targets had run off. Then Odie was loudly declaring their wish to fight a Goron—again—and Arson kept threatening them with more and more gory fates. _Then_ , they tried to race each other and ended up _both_ spurring their horses one too many times and getting de-horsed quite abruptly.

Okay, frankly, that was funny. But it was annoying, too, because they were definitely holding up the mission with their bickering and antics.

“Why are you like this?” she asked, rolling her eyes as they got back on their horses.

“‘Cause they let us be,” Odie said with a grin. “The people in our village never really cared that much what we got up to, so long as Arson was watching out for me.”

They were coming up on the stable, and Zelda was already looking forward to a bath and some rest. Listening to these two bicker was _exhausting_. Why did she sign up for this again? Oh, right, princess, protect Hyrule, that nonsense.

The problem only presented itself once they were at the stable and on the ground, trying to decide how many rooms to buy.

“One’s cheaper,” Odie said with a shrug. “And Arson and I can sleep on the ground or something.”

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Zelda protested, ignoring Arson’s _Speak for yourself!_ as he puffed up a bit, offended. “We all need the rest. We should all have beds, and getting three rooms is the best way.”

“Uh, problem,” Arson said, tapping his toes as he looked around. “You get a room on your own, someone might think it’s shady. We’re a bunch of kids.” He rolled his shoulders. “We’re all small, and Odie said they’d sleep on the ground—“

“Share a bed with a _boy—“_ Zelda burst out in shock.

Arson rolled his eyes. He was too tired for this. “Three kids getting a room on their own is going to look shady,” he repeated. “And you didn’t want to be found out, right? Having enough for one each is a good hint that we’ve got access to a _lot_ of money.”

“Oh. But…” Zelda looked between the two teenagers. “I’m not sure about _sharing a bed_.”

“Hey, I’m not that big,” Odie protested, but it was with a grin and a sly poke to Zelda’s ribs.

Zelda laughed, settling down a bit. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. And Arson was right, it would look really weird if three kids bought separate rooms. Or even two, since Odie and Arson didn’t seem to care that much about personal space when it came to each other. Yeah, what was _with_ that?

Later, as they settled into their room, cross-legged on the bed, she asked. “So, are you two…uh…” She struggled to find the words. “You’re very close,” she went with instead. “And touchy.”

“Odie’s just really touchy,” Arson said with a shrug, tucking into his bowl of stew with glee. He loved himself some good food.

“We’re cousins,” Odie said, and the look on Zelda’s face said that their response answered her question. “We grew up together, and Arson’s only a couple months older than me, so we’ve always been together.” They shrugged and poked at a potato, scooping it up and dropping it into Arson’s bowl.

“Oh, I see. I don’t think…I have cousins,” Zelda said quietly. “I have Impa. We’ve… Well, she’s kinda my guard, but we’re friends too.” And Impa would kill her when she found out that the princess had snuck off on her own. At least she wasn’t completely alone.

“That sounds boring,” Arson said, fishing out a carrot to drop into Odie’s bowl. “Who’d you play with, then? When you were a kid?”

“We’re still kids,” Zelda snarked with a grin, watching the secondary exchange, potatoes for carrots.

“You know what I mean.”

“Uh… Well…” She wasn’t watching the cousins anymore, more interested in studying her bowl of stew. She…didn’t really have anyone to play with when she was younger. Not that she’d had much time to play at all. “Mother played with me a lot.”

“Not Impa?” Odie asked.

Zelda shook her head. “Sometimes. Not often. She was usually busy training.” She sighed a bit, then decided that smiling was better. “But we did study together a lot. She’s a lot calmer than you two, so we had a better time reading together or playing chess.”

That kind of life sounded rather sad to Arson and Odie, who were both rather rambunctious, even if Arson had calmed a bit as he got older. Zelda had been alone a lot, it seemed, and the way that she was often rather annoyed or confused by the interactions between Arson and Odie made Arson wonder if she’d ever really had anyone to be herself around other than her own mother. If she’d spent a lot of time alone.

“Chess, though? That sounds boring,” Odie said quietly before stuffing some food into their face. They had too much energy for chess, though they did know how to play it. “Arson plays. He’s good, too.”

“Am not. Father always beats me,” Arson protested, shaking his head.

“Yeah, well, he’s been playing for, like, 30 years _and_ is the reigning champion. You’re just learning.” It was silly to Odie how Arson compared himself to his father, whether it was chess or sword fighting. Arson was very talented, especially when it came to sword fighting, and it wasn’t like any of the other kids could claim to have done what their cousin had: fighting enemies in the pitch black with only a voice as a guide.

Arson shrugged. He didn’t see it that way.

“Perhaps we can play one day,” Zelda said instead, smiling kindly at the boy. “I’m not terribly good, either, so don’t worry about that.” It would be nice to have a calm moment between them.

Like now. This was a nice, calm moment, but it felt like the calm before the storm. The ‘pass’—which they had learned was, in fact, a steep hill leading to a bridge instead—was ahead, and from there they had to tackle the dangers of Death Mountain. Zelda doubted the bokoblins of Eldin were as tame as the ones they had encountered in the wheat field, so feeding them would likely not be productive.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, lips tipping down a bit as she retrieved the last piece of potato in her bowl. “What if…”

“We can’t think about ‘what if’,” Arson said, jaw set as he looked stubbornly at Zelda. “If I had paused to think ‘what if’, you two could have died. Something’s coming, and we have to stop it. That’s what Farore said.” They didn’t have time for doubts.

“Still. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do,” she said, shaking her head and frowning. “What if I can’t win?”

“Then we will find a way to get the stone anyway. We have to have them.” And that was the end of the story for Arson.

Unfortunately, his conviction did little to quell Zelda’s fears.

“Hey,” he said, leaning forward to poke her knee with the handle of his spoon. “It’ll be okay. I know it’s the right thing, and we’ve got _all_ the goddesses watching out for us, right?”

Zelda’s smile was weak but still there. “We don’t have a choice, do we?”

“No,” Odie stated, just as confident as always. “We’ll find a way to get the other two stones, and we’ll keep whatever bad thing it is from happening. Like you said: there’s no other choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The statements Arson and Odie make about chess (Arson saying he sucked and Odie pointing out his father was, in short, very experienced with chess) actually mirrors a conversation I once had with my dad. He was very good at chess, and he's the one who taught me. 
> 
> So shout out to my dad, who will likely never read this. I love you and you're the best thing that's happened to me!


End file.
